Veteran quarterback Russell Wilson will start for the Pittsburgh Steelers when they open the season on the road against the Atlanta Falcons on Sept. 8, coach Mike Tomlin announced Wednesday.
Wilson, who led the Seattle Seahawks to a Super Bowl title a decade ago, had been locked in a battle with fourth-year QB Justin Fields. While Tomlin had said for months that Wilson was the leader for the job, a calf injury Wilson sustained early in training camp gave coaches a longer look at Fields with the first team.
"I met with both quarterbacks here just a few minutes ago after practice and I informed them that Russ is QB 1 going into Week 1," Tomlin said Wednesday. "It was a difficult decision but not difficult in a negative way. To be quite honest with you, it was difficult in a positive way. This decision was difficult because of what they're capable of doing. The decision was difficult because of how they conducted themselves as opposed to the things that they fall short in terms of capabilities or negative conduct."
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